Seaming rolls for securing ends on can bodies



Nov. 27, 1962 R. E. GEESON 3,065,719

SEAMING ROLLS FOR SECURING ENDS ON CAN BODIES Filed Feb. 18, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 3,065,719 SEAMING ROLLS, FOR SECURING ENDS ONCAN BODIES Filed Feb. 18, 1959 R. E. GEESON Nov. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Inventor JFoZerZ-E 6 666070. I F B Attorney? 3,065,719 SEAMING ROLLSFOR SECURING ENDS N CAN BODIES Robert Ernest Geeson, Croydon, England,assignor to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England, a Britishcompany Filed Feb. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 794,144 Claims priority,application Great Britain May 30, 1958 p Claims. (Cl. 113-24) Thisinvention relates to seaming rolls for securing ends on can bodies.

One problem which is always encountered when seaming ends on can bodiesmade from fiat blanks is to provide for the relief of pressure,particularly during the second seaming operation, when a seaming rollpasses over the side seam formed in the can body, it being understoodthat seaming is usually effected by what are known as first and secondseaming operations. Heretofore it has been customary to employ springsin an attempt to overcome this problem but as the springs also performother functions if combined with other essential elements or, if notcombined, usually create an undesirably heavy mass, such proposals havenot resulted in an adequate solution to the problem with the result thatthe end seam formation tends to be uneven in form and tightness in theregion of the side seam of the can body. It is the main object of thepresent invention to provide a seaming roll the construction of which issuch as to ensure a substantially even and uniformly tight end seamwhile avoiding the use of conventional springs which must serve morethan one purpose or suffer from the disadvantage of heavy mass.

According to the present invention a seaming roll for securing ends oncan bodies comprises a spindle adapted for rotation about itslongitudinal axis, a perpherally grooved annular element supported forrotaton with said spindle and for lateral movement relative thereto in adirection at right-angles to said axis, and locating means tending tomaintain said element concentric with said axis.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodimentthereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a part of a seaming mechanism having a seaming rollaccording to the invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 is a section through the seaming roll, and

FIG. 3 is an underneath plan of an annular element forming part of theseaming roll.

Referring to the drawings, the seaming roll 1 is supported by one arm 2of a pair of arms secured to a stub shaft 3, FIG. 1, for rockingmovement about the axis of shaft 3 in a seaming roll support 4 rotatableabout the axis of a chuck 5. The other arm 6 of the pair supports a pairof frusto-conical cam followers 7, 8 which co-operate respectively withcams 9, 10' to cause the seaming roll to follow a path which conforms tothe contour of the chuck, and to apply the seaming pressure to theseaming roll. This apparatus forms no part of the present invention as aseaming roll according to the invention can be applied to other forms ofmechanism designed to function in a similar manner.

The seaming roll, FIG. 2, comprises an annular element the periphery ofwhich may be provided with a first seaming operation groove 11 and asecond seaming operation groove 12, or if desired, with only a secondseaming operation groove. The annular element is supported for rotationwith a spindle 13 which in FIG. 2 is journalled in the arm 2 to befreely rotatable about its longitudinal asserts Patented Nov. 27, 1982axis. The annular element is also movable laterally relative to thespindle in a direction at right angles to the axis of the spindle andlocating means are provided to tend to maintain the annular elementconcentric with the axis of the spindle.

The locating means comprises a washer 14 which, as can be seen from FIG.2, is located between the annular element and the spindle, and balls 15which are seated between the opposite sides 18, 17 of the annularelement and resilient annular plates 18, 19 co-axial with the spindle 13and stressed to urge the balls 15 to the seated positions thereof.

The ball-seatings are formed by counter-sinking holes 20 as at 21, 22,the counter-sinking for alternate holes being formed alternately in thesaid sides 16, 17. The plates 18, 19 are also provided with countersunkseatings at positions adjacent to the peripheries thereof.

The plates 18, 19 are clamped relative to the spindle 13 in a mannersuch that they converge towards the spindle 13 to effect stressingthereof and to this end the plate 18, 19 are spaced apart by the washer14!- and are clamped between a shoulder 23 and a nut 24 on the spindle13. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the ball-seatings 21, 22 are displacedangularly with relation to each other.

In operation, while the seaming pressure remains constant the annularelement remains concentric with the axis of the spindle 13. When,however, the seaming pressure tends to exceed that normally applied, aswhen during the second seaming operation the seaming roll passes overthe side seam formed in the can body, the excess pressure overcomes thepre-load exerted by plates 18, 19 so that the balls ride partially outof their seats and permit lateral movement of the annular element thusmaintaining the seaming pressure substantially constant as the rollrides over the can body side seam. As the roll rides oif the side seamthe stress in plates 18 and 19 restores the balls to their seats and theannular element to the position thereof in which it is concentric withthe axis of spindle 13.

I claim:

1. A seaming roll for securing ends on can bodies, comprising a spindleadapted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a peripherally groovedannular element encircling said spindle and supported for rotation withsaid spindle and for lateral movement relative thereto in a direction atright-angles to said axis, and locating means tending to maintain saidelement concentricwith said axis, said locating means comprising a pairof annular plates co-axial with the spindle and spaced apart axiallythereof by a washer, and balls seated between the opposite sides of theannular element and said plates and being rideable thereoutof to permitlimited lateral movement of said annular member, the plates beingstressed to urge the balls to the seated positions thereof.

2. A seaming roll according to claim 1, wherein the ball-seatings areformed in sides of said annular element and in said plates at positionsadjacent to the peripheries of the plates, and the plates are clampedrelative to the spindle in a manner such that they converge towards thespindle to effect said stressing thereof.

3. A seaming roll according to claim 1, wherein the ball-seatings formedin one side of the annular element are displaced angularly with relationto those formed in the opposite side of the annular element.

4. A seaming roll comprising a spindle, means mounting said spindle forrocking movement into and out of a can seaming position, an annularseaming member encircling said spindle, said seaming member having anopening therethrough larger than a corresponding portion of said spindleto permit limited lateral movement of said seaming member relative tosaid spindle in a direc- 6 tion at right angles to the longitudinal axisof said spindle, and combined connecting and locating means disposedbetween said spindle and said seaming member for connecting said seamingmember to said spindle for rotation therewith and for resiliently urgingsaid seaming member to a position concentric with said spindle axis.

5. A seaming roll comprising a spindle, means mount-v ing said spindlefor rocking movement into and out of a can seaming position, an annularseaming member encircling said spindle, said seaming member having anopening therethrough larger than a corresponding portion of said spindleto permit limited lateral movement of said seaming member relative tosaid spindle in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofsaid spindle, a shoulder on said spindle and clamp means on said spindleopposing said shoulder, first and second spring plates abutting saidshoulder and said clamp member, respectively, said spring plates beingdisposed on opposite sides of said seaming members, a washer disposedwithin said seaming member opening and around said spindle between innerportions of said plates, said shoulder and said clamp means clampinginner portions of said spring plates against said washer, opposed seatsin said seaming memher and outer portions of said plates, and ballspartially seated in said seats connecting said seaming member to saidplates for limited relative movement transversely of said axis, wherebysaid seaming member may momentarily shift transversely of said axis whenengaged with a seam area of greater thickness than other seam areas,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS836,337 Posseron Nov. 20, 1906 1,046,907 Victor Dec. 10, 1912 1,369,920Ennes Mar. 1, 1921 1,447,291 Arce Mar. 6, 1923 2,547,667 Schulze Apr. 3,1951

